Woman murdered after crying wrong name during sex

A mother of two was murdered by her angry live-in-lover after she accidentally
cried out another man's name as they had sex.

Joanne Kitchen was strangled by her lover Gary Higgs

12:35PM BST 07 Sep 2010

Joanne Kitchen, 41, was making love with 44-year old Gary Higgs in their bedroom when she suddenly cried out: ''Chris, harder.''

Higgs was so enraged he stormed downstairs to the kitchen grabbed a chef's knife and stabbed Joanne once in the back and once in the chest.

Afterwards as she lay dying from her wounds, Higgs throttled mum-of-two Joanne to death with the electrical flex of their alarm clock.

When police caught up with him he confessed: ''I didn't know exactly what I was thinking. I picked the knife up and carried it upstairs to the bedroom.

"I don't remember thinking I wanted to harm Jo at this time. I was just so mad.

"She was hurting so much. I wanted to end the hurting for her. I got hold of the electrical flex from the alarm clock next to the bed and strangled her to death.

"I am truly deeply sorry for what I have done."

Higgs was jailed for life after pleading guilty to murder. He must serve a minimum of 15 years before he will be considered for release.

Sentencing him, Judge Andrew Gilbart QC, "As can happen in all relationships, there were tensions and worries - including those about money.

"Those tensions can lead to mistrust and sexual jealousy.

"It seems you were over-come by your view that she could still be interested sexually in others and be as readily welcoming to conduct an affair with others as she had been with you.

"There is no evidence of that whatsoever, but even if there were, it cannot justify what you did.

"In my judgement, this is a case of an unreasonably posessive man killing his lover in a rage."

Manchester Crown Court was told the couple met in 2009 through playing games of ''social networking poker'' on Facebook which in which users play to meet each rather than win any cash.

Both were already in long term relationships but they finished with their respective partners and moved into together at a rented two bedromed terraced house in Dumers Lane, Radcliffe, near Bury, Greater Manchester.

Mr Paul Reid QC, prosecuting, the couple struggled financially with only Joanne working as a security officer at Holy Cross Catholic College in Bury.

Despite Higgs getting a £5,000 windfall from his mother he failed to get a job and the couple were seen arguing outside the college gates.

The murder occurred on April 13 this year the morning after Joanne was driven home from work by her daughter Rebecca, 20, who had a boyfriend called Christopher James

At 8.55am a woman waiting a bus stop heard ''a cluster of argumentative screams'' from a woman at the couple's home and another man saw Higgs standing bare chested at the window.

The alarm was raised when Joanne failed to show up for work and Rebecca and elder sister Belinda, 22, failed to contact their mother by phone or text.

The landlord of the house eventually let the two young women in and he found Joanne's body in the upstairs room covered by a duvet. Higgs was eventually tracked down to the home of his mother Evangeline in Swindon, Wilts.

When informed police wanted to speak to him, Higgs ran off saying: ''I'm off. I can't tell you. I love you and it might be a while before I see you again.''

He was later found by his two brothers staggering around on nearby wasteland near an empty bottle of whisky.

Higgs later told police he and Joanne had been on ''good terms,'' and tragedy struck when they woke up together in bed.

Mr Reid told the court that in a statement to police, "He described what he says happened. They were having sex and during the course of that she used the name 'Chris, harder'.

"He says that that incensed him, and he became angry. He went downstairs to make a cup of coffee and went back upstairs and questioned her about it.

"She said she must have mentioned the name perhaps because Chris had been there the day before."

Higgs said Joanne told her she had said 'Chris' because Christopher James and Rebecca had given her a lift home the night before and any mention of his name was innocent.

Higgs vowed to check if Joanne had any friends called Chris on Facebook but before he did so, he grabbed the kitchen knife and stormed back up stairs to find Joanne lying on the bed facing the wall.

Mr Reid added, "He described getting more and more angry about it. He described how he stabbed her on the back and stabbing her in the chest, and her saying 'you've killed me.'"

Defending Higgs, Mr Nigel Lickley QC said, "He has asked me to express to the daughters of Mrs Kitchen and their family, he has taken the life of their mother.

"That is a burden he will have to shoulder for the remainder of his life."

Speaking after the case, senior Investigating Officer Vincent Chadwick from Greater Manchester police said, "What happened today will never bring back Joanne but it does bring some closure for the family.

"If we are to believe Higgs' account of what happened, he erupted with rage following a minor argument.

"Instead of talking things through he took out a kitchen knife and attacked Joanne from behind. She quite simply never stood a chance.

"Joanne was a popular woman and her murder has deeply affected all of her family and many friends.

"I don't think words can describe Gary Higgs as a person. He has taken the way the life of a mother and a grandmother. Two grandchildren will not see their grandmother and that is horrific."

Joanne's family said in a statement: ''Joanne was always cheerful and smiling, she would do anything for anyone, so much so that all Rebecca's friends called her mum.

'''Her death will leave a massive hole in the family. Things will never be the same again.''